21 Under 31 – 2023 | Daniel Zalla, 24
KENTUCKY

Daniel Zalla, 24

Sara, oil on linen

The Print Collector, oil on linen

Style: I work in a style of realism heavily influenced by the 19th-century French academic method.

Creative Spark: I am inspired most by my friends, family, the places I encounter, the artistic successes of my peers and the giants of art history. When I am inspired to paint it is always about my own humble slice of the human experience.

Art Education: I received a BFA from Xavier University before attending the three-year program at the Florence Academy of Art.

Best Art Advice Received: “The success or failure of a painting is a testament to your capacity to love” – Tom Richards

Favorite Studio Music: 95 percent of the time I need silence to focus while I work, but the other 5 percent is Doc Watson.

Favorite Work by Another Artist: Limiting myself to five paintings feels painfully insufficient, but a small selection includes El Jaleo by Sargent, Samson and Delilah by Solomon J. Solomon, Bonnat’s Crucifixion, Sad Inheritance by Sorolla, and Salomé by Henri Regnault.

Artistic Goals: My primary goal in painting is to tell a story that moves people’s souls.

Other Passions: “Pizza Monday”—our weekly tradition of pizza from scratch, which has gone on uninterrupted for over two years. It’s the glue that holds my community together.

Price Range: $500-$5,000

Contact Information: danielzalla.com